Target trap



y 1939' s. BINGHA-M, JR 2,153,739

TARGET TRAP F'i'led Sept. 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I jzz/eiazorv 3. r v(ge 'm wy vzz ay 5, 9319- 5. EH. BmGHAM, JR

TARGET TRAP Fill-ed Sept. 30,. 1955 49 56 5 Wilma 37 40 zsmlll:

10 pain-mug i ll 4 I will v. 4945 46 Q2 2 6% 7 Ewen/$04- \ialiuwPatented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in target traps, such as are usedin trap shooting and skeet shooting.

The general object is to provide a target trap which may be operatedquickly, conveniently, and with little effort and in which the throwingarm cannot be released until the operator in the trap house is ready.

In using most target traps as now constructed,

the release of the throwing arm or target carrier results in a violentswing of said arm through more than a half circle, after which itoscillates back and forth and comes to rest in a position the oppositeof its starting position. In carrying out my invention I take advantageof the inertia of the throwing arm and its associated parts, to carry itpast the half circle point, and to store energy in the actuating helicalspring by extending the latter. Also, I provide means to hold said armat practically the extreme limit of its throw. Thus when the operator isready to reset or cook the device, and pulls on the handle provided forthat purpose, all he needs to do is to draw the throwing arm aroundthrough less 25 than a quarter circle, in the same direction in which itpreviously traveled, in order to restore it to initial position and tocomplete the extension or tensioning of the spring. In pulling throughthis small angle and having available a powerful leverage, the effortrequired to complete the extension of the spring to its maximum is muchless than would be the case were it not already partly extended.

As contributing to the attainment of these ad- 35 vantageous results, afurther object is to provide a relatively fixed ratchet plate, engagedby a pawl on the throwing arm when the latter ap proaches the limit ofits throw, perhaps 270 degrees or more, whereby said arm is held againstreturn movement, and the energy stored in the spring is retained.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide a motor driven target trapmechanism having a continuously rotating ratchet disc propelled by anelectric motor, which disc picks up and completes the rotation of thethrowing arm when it is released and auomatically resets the same. Suchequipment has the disadvantage of requiring a source of current, such,for example, as an 50 electric lighting circuit and well insulatedconductors concealed in the ground, which facililities are not alwaysavailable in the areas in which trap shooting is apt to be carried out,and which facilities involve additional expense in 55 cases where anearby lighting or power circuit is available. In my improvedconstruction, the mechanism is simple and the ratchet member is normallystationary, being turned only at intervals and preferably by hand, bymeans of a handle within the convenient reach of the operator. 5

An additional advantage is that as long as the operator continues tohold the handle away from its initial position it is impossible for thethrowing arm to be released by any remote control such as by someoneoutside of the trap house 10 pulling the release cord. Thus the operatorin the trap house is protected against the danger of injury arising outof the unanticipated release of said arm.

Other objects and advantages will appear from 15 the more detaileddescription of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the illustrative mechanism referred to, thedevice being cocked and ready for release; 20

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism in the position it assumeswhen the throwing arm reaches the limit of its throw;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a central section through the main shaft in Fig. 1, withcertain parts moved to other positions.

The apparatus comprises a suitable frame I B which may be mounted topermit adjustment up and down about a horizontal axis, in the usualmanner, and to permit adjustment also so that it may be pointed indifferent directions about an axis that is vertical or nearly so, thismounting not being shown in the drawings. The frame 5 carries a verticalshaft H which is rotated through a half turn by a suitable coiled spring[2, substantially in the usual manner. At the upper end of the shaft IIis the throwing arm [3 which is normally latched in its initial position40 after the spring has been tensioned but may be released by pulling ona tension member or release cord, [4, as hereinafter described. Thespring ordinarily throws the arm 180 degrees but said arm and associatedparts, due to their inertia, continue the swing through a greater angle,and at the extreme limit of the throw said arm is prevented from makinga return movement, by means of a notched plate or ratchet plate l5 whichis normally held in fixed position against movement in one direction butwhich may be turned by means of a resetting handle [6 to advance orrestore the throwing arm I3 to initial position, and at the same time totension the spring 12.

As shown in Fig. 3, the shaft II is provided with cranks I! to which ashort connecting rod I8 is connected, which rod is connected to one endof the spring I 2, the other end of said spring being adjustably securedto the frame by a nut l9 having a tapering head 20 and adjusted by meansof a hand wheel 2|. The shaft H, which consists of a lower and uppersection, is rotatably mounted in bearings 22, 23. At its upper end itcarries a short arm or plate 24, (see Fig. 4) to which the throwing armor target carrier I3 is secured, the inner end of said plate beingenlarged at 25 and secured to said shaft so that the two turn together.Below said enlargement or hub is another hub 26 loosely mounted onmounting on the stud 49, as shown in Fig. 2.

said shaft and having bifurcated extensions, the upper extensionconstituting the notched plate l5, shown also in Figs. 1 and 2, and thelower extension 21 serving as a support and mounting-for the operatinglever I6, suitably secured thereto. The target throwing arm l3 has apawl 28 mounted on the under side thereof normally impelled by a spring29 in a direction to engage the ratchet teeth 30 on the plate l5 andride over the same as the arm approaches the limit of its swing andcomes to rest under the pull of the main spring l2, which tends torestore the arm to initial position. Although the ratchet plate [5 isrotatably mounted on the shaft II, it is normally stationary in thesense that it is held against rearward movement (even when the throwingarm I3 is in its Fig. 1 position) by means of a stop 3| against whichthe lower extension 21 is'yieldingly held by a short chain 32 andattached spring 33, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows the target trap throwing arm in initial or cooked positionto permit the target or clay pigeon to be placed thereon against therail 34 and also against the adjustable stop 35. When the arm isreleased it swings around through more than three-fourths of arevolution to the approximate position shown in Fig. 2, in which it isheld by the pawl and ratchet mechanism. The extent of the angular throwof the arm may be varied by adjusting the spring ten* sion devices I9,20, 2|. The leverage afforded by the handle I6 is such that it is easyto thereafter move the throwing arm through the small remaining angulardistance necessary to restore it to initial position. In the positionshown in Fig. 2 the spring l2 has been extended, due to the inertia ofthe throwing arm, and thus the work of extending the spring to itsmaximum position is considerably lessened and the actuating parts are inconvenient position for the operator to take hold of and move them.

The throwing arm is held in initial position against the action of thespring by a retractable trigger 36 which is mounted in a housing 31 (seeFig. 3) and is normally held in uppermost position by a coiled spring 38beneath it. Said trigger is engaged by a radial finger 39 which mayconstitute an integral extension of the arm 24, as shown in Fig. 4. Asthe operator pulls the handle l6 through an angle considerably less than90 degrees to restore the throwing arm to its initial position, shown inFig. 1, he extends the spring l2 and throws the cranks I! a littlebeyond the dead center so that the tendency of the throwing arm is toswing in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, such movement, however,being restrained by the trigger 36 against which the finger 39 abuts. Inorder to withdraw the trigger, the release cord [4 is pulled, therebymoving the link or slide 40 to the right, as shown in Fig. 3,

28, as shown in Fig. 4.

against the action of the spring 4|, whereupon the cam surface 42,sliding over the abutment 43 on the trigger 36, draws down the latterand releases the throwing arm. The inner end of the link 46 has a notch44 in the lower edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, engaged by a lockingdevice which, as shown in Fig. may have the form oi a pivoted arm 45,with a finger 46 on the end thereof which enters said notch, beingnormally impelled therein by a vertical, fiat spring 4T. Whenever thehandle It is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the locking lever iswithdrawn from said notch by means of a pin 48 mounted in hub Said pinengages one end of the lever 45, and rocks it about its pivotal Thus thetrigger can be withdrawn by moving the link 43 either manually orotherwise whenever the hand lever I6 is in its normal or safetyposition, shown in Fig. 2.

When the hand lever I6 is swung away from its normal position of rest,the locking finger 46 immediately tends to enter the notch and becomesoperative unless the slide 40 is in the wrong position. If said slide isnot jammed by some foreign object and the notch is in the rightposition, the locking finger thereafter prevents movement of said slideto the right and hence prevents depression of the trigger 35. In otherwords, the throwing arm cannot be released and swung around under theaction of the spring when the handle I6 is in any position other thanits normal rearmost position, as in Fig. 2. This gives the operator anopportunity to place the clay pigeon on the throwing arm or to make anyexamination or adjustment of the mechanism which he may desire withoutdanger of having the trap sprung when he is not prepared for it, therebyavoiding the danger of a severe blow from the arm l3. By holding thehandle H6 in some intermediate position the operator thus preventsspringing of the trap until he is ready to have it sprung, after whichif he releases the handle l6 it is restored automatically to initialposition, releasing the slide or link 40.

The plate 24, as shown in Fig. 4, has a depending stud 50 with a roller5| thereon which passes through a notch 52 in the sliding plate or link40 when the latter is in its normal position shown in Fig. 3. If for anyreason someone should pull on the tension member l4 and thus depress thetrigger 36 at the moment the operator is swinging the arm back toinitial position, said arm will be prevented from reaching initialposition by the roller 5| striking the inclined surface 53. Thisobstruction is presented, preferably, just as or slightly after thecranks I! reach dead center, at which time the spring l2 would beextended its maximum amount, and indicates to the operator that the traphas not been set. The small spring 33 maintains its pull on the handlei6 tending to restore it to its initial position. Where the slidingplate or link 40 is in the proper position, the throwing arm moves to apoint definitely beyond the dead center, whereupon the trigger isencountered and holds the arm from flying around in a forward directionuntil said trigger is drawn downwardly. When the slide 40 is pulled tothe right, to depress the trigger, the pin 54 on said slide may strikethe housing 31 and thus limit the outward movement of said slide. Thepin 55 on said slide strikes the other end of said housing when the pullis relaxed and the coil spring 4| permitted to contract, thus insuringthat the slide will always return to the above mentioned, normalposition, i. e. the Fig. 3 position.

The pull of the spring 4| on the sliding plate it opposes the pullof thetension member I4 and returns said slide to initial position when thetension is released. Also, the pressure of the roller 5! against theinclined or cam surface 53, due to the pull of the main spring 12, tendsto restore said sliding plate in conjunction with the spring 4|, andaccelerates its movement to initial position, in which position theroller 5| may pass through the notch 52, thus permitting the throwingarm to continue to move a slight distance to cocked position inengagement with the trigger. At the time said roller bears against saidcam surface the crank on the shaft has moved slightly beyond the deadcenter, thus rendering the pull of the main spring effective. When thearm is in this position in which the roller is obstructed by the camsurfaces, the handle I6 can be returned to initial position and said armwill remain against the stop until the release of the pull on thetension member permits the slide to be moved sufficiently for the rollerto pass through the opening therein.

The adjustable stop 35 which positions the target radially on the armI3, is mounted on a non-circular rod 56, being held thereto by a wingnut 5?. Both ends of said rod, as shown in Fig. 2, are cylindrical androtatably mounted in standards 58, a spring 59 serving normally to holdthe finger 35 in vertical position, but permitting it to yield and swingdownwardly toward horizontal position when the throwing arm is releasedand passes over it.

It will be apparent that as the target carrying arm swings violentlyaround past the half circle point, it is retained in the position inwhich it comes to rest instead of oscillating back and forth. Suchoscillations tend to shake or vibrate the mechanism unnecessarily andconsume time. These disadvantages are obviated in my improvedconstruction.

Although in the form shown, the setting movement of the arm isaccomplished by hand, it could be accomplished electrically if thedisadvantages incident to the installation and operation of electricalequipment presented no particular obstacle in certain localities. Thehand lever shown in the drawing provides for a very effectiveapplication of the hand power, although a series of links or mechanicalconnections, operated either within the trap house or from a distance,may be employed if desired. Also, the trigger instead of being depressedby a release cord could be operated by a solenoid or in other ways.

I claim:

l. A target trap comprising a target throwing arm, an actuating springtherefor, a remote control releasing mechanism for said arm, stationaryretaining means for holding said arm against return movement atsubstantially the limit of its throw, and manually actuated meansindependent of said remote control mechanism for restoring said arm toinitial position by moving the same further in the direction of saidthrow.

2. A target trap comprising a target throwing arm, an actuating springtherefor, a remote control releasing mechanism for said arm, a memberhaving a plurality of ratchet teeth thereon, movably mounted adjacentthe plane of rotation of said means normally holding said memberstationary, a pawl mounted on said arm to ride over said ratchet teethwhen said arm approaches the limit of its throw, engage one of saidteeth,

and prevent return movement thereof, and manual means independent ofsaid remote control mechanism constructed and arranged to move saidratchet member and hence said arm in a direction to complete a swing of360 degrees, thereby restoring said arm to initial position andtensioning said spring.

3. A target trap comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein,a target throwing arm secured to said shaft, an actuating spring forrotat ng said shaft and arm a half turn, a member having a plurality ofratchet teeth thereon, movable mounted adjacent the plane of rotation ofsaid arm, a stop, and means for yieldingly holding said ratchet memberagainst said stop, a pawl mounted on said arm to ride over said ratchetteeth when said arm swings beyond the half turn position due to itsinertia, engage one of said teeth, and thus prevent return movement ofsaid arm, and a handle secured to said ratchet member for moving thelatter away from the stop and hence moving said arm in a continuation ofits initial swing to restore it to initial position.

i. In a target trap, a main shaft, a target throwing arm fixed to saidshaft, a crank on said arm, a spring secured to said crank for turningsaid shaft and arm, a sector-shaped ratchet plate rotatably mounted in aplane parallel to the plane of rotation of said arm, means normallypreventing rotation of said ratchet plate in a direction the reverse ofthe rotation of said spring impelled arm, a pawl carried by said arm toengage said ratchet plate and retain said arm in the position in whichit comes to rest, thus avoiding oscillations thereof, means for movingsaid ratchet plate and hence said arm to complete the angular movementof the latter toward its starting position, and beyond the dead centerof said crank and spring, and releasable means to hold said arm instarting position.

5. In a target trap, a main shaft, a target throwing arm affixed to saidshaft, a crank on said shaft, a spring connected therewith to rotatesaid arm through substantially a half turn, means retaining said arm inthe position in which it comes torest, an abutment, yielding meansnormally holding said retaining means in position against said abutment,and resetting means for moving said retaining means and said arm awayfrom said abutment in opposition to said yielding means.

6. In a target trap, a main shaft, a target throwing arm affixed to saidshaft, a crank on said shaft, a spring connected therewith to rotatesaid arm through substantially a half turn, means for retaining said armin the position in which it comes to rest, an abutment, yielding meansnormally holding said retaining means in position against said abutment,resetting means for moving said retaining means and said arm to a pointbeyond the dead center of said crank and spring, in opposition to saidyielding means, a trigger holding said arm in cocked position, and alocking device to prevent release of said trigger when said resettingmeans is being operated.

7. In a target trap, a throwing arm, a trigger to release the same,means for moving said trigger to release said arm, a lock for renderingsaid means inoperative, a resetting handle movable from normal positionto actuating position, in the same direction as said throwing arm whenthe latter is released, and connections from said handle to said lock toactuate the same when said handle is moved.

8. In a target trap, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, athrowing arm secured to said shaft, a spring for throwing said arm inone direction, a handle for moving said arm in the same direction as itsthrow, a slide on said frame having a cut out portion, a stop on saidarm positioned to pass through said out out portion when said arm andshaft are swung to complete the throw to initial position, a trigger forsaid arm released by movement of said slide in one direction, a stop forlimiting the movement of said slide in the opposite direction to fix itsnormal position, a locking lever for said slide to hold it in saidnormal position, an abutment movable with said handle to engage saidlocking lever and unlock said slide only when said handle is in itsinitial position of rest, and yielding means tending to hold said handlein said position.

9. In a target trap, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, athrowing arm secured to said shaft, a crank on said shaft to which anactuating spring is secured, a hub loose on said shaft, a handle affixedto said hub, an abutment on said hub, a trigger releasing slide on saidframe, said slide having an opening therein, a pivoted lever having oneend normally received in said opening to lock said slide, a spring tohold said lever in looking position, said abutment engaging said leverwhen said hub is rotated in one direction to rock said lever against theaction of said spring, thus unlocking said slide, and means for movingsaid slide to release said trigger.

10. In a target trap, a rotatable throwing arm,

a trigger to restrain and to release the same, a resetting handle, aslide having means for withdrawing said trigger and having a cam surfacethereon, a roller on said arm positioned to engage said cam surface assaid arm is rotated, and when said slide is in trigger withdrawingposition, thus obstructing further rotation of said arm, and a springtending to hold said slide in normal position, the pressure of saidroller on said cam surface tending also to move said slide to normalposition, in which said roller may pass through said out out portion topermit said arm to engage said trigger.

11. A target trap comprising a target throwing arm secured to arotatable shaft to turn therewith, an actuating member also mounted toturn with said shaft, an actuating spring secured to said member torotate said shaft and said arm less than a complete turn, a remotecontrol releasing mechanism for said arm, retaining means for holdingsaid arm against return movement at substantially the limit of itsthrow, said means comprising a pawl and ratchet one of which isassociated with said arm to move therewith and the other of which ismounted to resist the force of said spring as it tends to cause saidreturn movement, and a handle pivotally mounted on the axis of saidshaft and manually actuated independently of said remote controlmechanism for moving said arm further in the direction of said throw, torestore it to initial position.

SAMUEL H. BINGHAM, JR.

